Camp Bondsteel Field Hospital conducts CPR training

CAMP BONDSTEEL, KOSOVO

10.22.2015

Story by Staff Sgt. Mary Junell  

30th Armored Brigade Combat Team

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo - Medical personnel serving in Kosovo with Multinational Battle Group-East taught a CPR class at the Camp Bondsteel Hospital, Oct. 22, 2015, to allow personnel the opportunity to earn or update their life-saving certifications.

The class taught here by members of the 345th Combat Support Hospital used the American Heart Association guidelines, and the certification is good for two years.

Many of the Soldiers currently serving at Camp Bondsteel as part of MNBG-E serves as members of the U.S. Army Reserve or National Guard, and several have civilian jobs that require a current CPR certification.

First Lt. Beatriz Munoz-Lamos, a North Carolina National Guard Soldier serving in Kosovo with the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team headquarters, was glad for the opportunity to renew her CPR certification.

“My CPR card expired,” said Munoz-Lamos, who is employed as a civilian as a surgical technician at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Durham, North Carolina. “I need to be certified for my civilian job when I get back home, so this was very convenient for me.”

CPR procedures are updated every five years following a world-wide conference, where current guidelines and trends are evaluated for effectiveness.

“Many times over the past 25 years I have seen changes that either improve existing parts of CPR or show that some parts were harmful or not helpful for resuscitative efforts,” said Staff Sgt. Christopher Lance, a U.S. Army Reserve Soldier serving with the 345th CSH and one of the instructors for the CPR classes. “Staying up-to-date allows people to use the most up to date and effective techniques when performing CPR.”

Lance stressed that early, effective CPR is often the most important part of saving a life in an emergency.

“The actions of the first person to witness or respond are directly related to whether or not there is a positive outcome,” Lance said, “regardless of actions taken at the hospital level.”

• Date Taken: 10.22.2015
• Date Posted: 11.01.2015 08:05
• Story ID: 180523
• Location: CAMP BONDSTEEL, ZZ
• Hometown: DURHAM, NC, US